Lubricating system



Jun 17, 1941 l. A. HUNTING LUBRICATING SYSTEM 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1958 Fig. 1

Fig. 2

INVENTOR. Irrx'zy 14. Hunt/27f '7, WW ATTOESE:

June 17, 1941. LA. HUNTING 2,245,860

' LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 15, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 4

June 17, 1941. N N 2,245,860

LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 15, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 xls INVENTOR.

June 17, 1941. 1. A. HUNTING I LUBRICATING SYSTEM 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 15, 1938 INVENTOR. Irv/'27 HUT tiny Fig. 10

June 1941- I. A. HUNTING LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 15, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 11

IN VENT OR. Irv/Hf A. Hunt H ATTO I H EEYZ June 17, 1941. l. A. HUNTING LUBRICATING SYSTEM 6 Sheets-Sfieet 6 Filed Oct. 15, 1958 INVENTOR.

Irv/2y Hunt/ nf (gfi TTOEEEYZ Fig. 13

Patented June 17, 1941 IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LUBRICATCING SYSTEM Irving A. Hunting, South Plainficld, N. J.

Application October 15, 1938, Serial No. 235,258

9 Claims. (01. 184-27) This invention in general relates to lubricating systems and more particularly to an automatic lubricating system designed and adapted for the economical and efficient lubrication of various types of machines and moving parts of mechanisms of diverse description.

The object of the invention is toprovide a lubricating system involving a method and means wherein lubricant is fed to preselected points of a mechanism, the effective feeding action taking place at predetermined timed intervals in contradistinction to a continuous feeding action.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a method and. means for supplying an adequate supply of lubricant to the moving elements of machines under conditions assuring the highest economy of lubricant and power.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lubricating device including a novel timing mechanism and clutching arrangement for the economical dispensing of lubricant to predetermined points of a machine and in predetermined quantities.

According to this invention, oil is supplied to the bearings of machines in such wise that oil; may enter the bearings under the action of grayity alone after the delivery of the oil in proper amount for each bearing. The oil is supplied by means of a piston pump in a tank. The pump operates one stroke or cycle, thenremains stationary for a predetermined time before making another stroke, with the proviso however, that an operative can cause the pump to'make a number of repeated strokes to supply oil when a machine is being started, or whenever desired. The pump itself is operated through the intermediary of a necessity for a stufling-box or packed bearing.,g

With the exception of the pumping stroke, comparatively little power is required to operate the device.

Oil under pressure from the pump is applied to the feeders by a pipe line which, after supply-:. ing the said feeders, returns the surplus oil to the tank through a spring valve which is set for the general pressure desired in the pipe line during the stroke of the pump. The feeders may be oil for each stroke, which may be a part of a drop or several drops at a time. The pulsating flow of the oil substantially prevents clogging of the feed line while a filter in the tank eliminates dirt and foreign particles from entering the line.

Other objects and advantages of the method and means employed will appear more fully when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an embodiment of the invention, showing the exterior of a casing or tank wherein the mechanism constituting the features of this invention is operatively inclosed, certain of the feed pipes and associated feed valves being shown in operative relation;

' Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing one of the adjustable feed valves employed;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the casing or tank, with feed pipes and valves removed for the purpose of clearer illustration;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, taken on a plane parallel to the front of the device, as seen in Figure 1; n

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line, and as seen in the direction of the arrows 5'5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line and as viewed in the direction of the arrows 6-6 ofv Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the main pressure-regm lating valve employed in the arrangement;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal or verticalsectional view of the valve shown in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view, taken on the line and as viewed in the direction of th arrows ,--9 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged, fragmentary detail view of certain portions of the mechanism depicted in Figure 5, showing the pump-operating crank shaft, intermediate cam shaft, certain of the coacting gears and other coacting elements Fig. 11 is a sectional view, taken on the line and as viewed in th direction of the arrows individually set to deliver the desired amount 01.255

Fig. 12 is a sectional view, taken on the line and as viewed in the direction of the arrows full linesand partly in dotted lines;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on the line l3l3 of Fig. 12;-and

be described.

arrangement of parts and in the details of con struction hereinafter set forth.

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views of the preferred form of the invention, the numeral 2| "designates-a casing or tank having an oil level gage-22 and a cover 23 to which latter is attached the mechanism forming the'features of thexpresent invention; I

Theicover23 is removably fastened to the casing or tank 2| in'any suitable manner, as by the iscrews'24. To the top surface of the cover 23, which'has a'hinged lid 23", a bearing bracket 25"is. fastened or integrally formed therewith. Rotatablymounted in a bushing 26 arranged in the bearing bracket 25 is a shaft'21 on the outer end of which a sheave 28 is securedifor the application "of power. 'iOn the inner end of the shaft 21, '-a pinion-29 is keyed, the said pinion meshing with a comparatively large gear 30 mounted onia crank shaft 3| (Fig.B) which actuates the lubricant pump, as hereinafter set forth. 7 I The'shaft "3| is r'otatably mounted at one end in a bushing 3| arranged in a wall ofthe pump casing described be'low,=and' at' its other end by a bracket 32 secured by Screws 33 and nuts 34 to an apertured lug 35 integrally formed with the cover 23. A second bracket 36, also secured by'a screw 35"andnut '31 to an apertured lug 38integral' with the cover 23, is arranged opposite the bracket 32 and serves, in conjunction therewith, to support an intermediate "gear shaft '39 hereinafter described. 1 r

The shaft 3| has rotatably arranged thereon three pinions each having integrally formed Two of these sleeves are therewith a sleeve. individually provided with "a gearand acam both of which latter arekeyed or otherwise suitably fastened to their adjacent sleeve. Afourth ingly-associated with the pinions' and gears on the said sleeves is a corresponding plurality of gears and pinions fastened to a plurality of sleeves rotatably mounted on the intermediate gear 'shaft 39 mentioned above (Figsfl and 5).'

The'coacting gears and pinions referred to above constitute" a" gearreduction system which is effective to actuate, through the intermediary of the cams alluded 7 to above and other coacting elements hereinafter set forth, a? clutch' t'he latter in turn, causing the rotationbf the crank inventig'm. These parts and functions will now 'Keyei'l to the driven gearifl! and rotatable on theshaft 3| is a. sleeve or bushing 42, referred 'to above, .andhaving iritegrally formedtherewith a timing gear pinion 43 which meshes with and drives a gear 44, fast to a sleeve 45 freely rotatable on the intermediate gear shaft 39 and having a pinion 45 formed thereon. The pinion 46 is engaged by a gear 41 fast to a second sleeve 48 loose on the shaft 3| and also having keyed thereto a cam 49 and an integral pinion 5|. The pinion 5| meshes with a gear 52 secured to a sleeve 53 rotatable on the shaft 39 and having an integral pinion 54. The last mentioned pinion 54 engages a gear 55 secured to a sleeve 56 'turnable on the shaft 3| and having in addition a cam 51 keyed thereto and an integrally-formed pinion 58.

The pinion 58 is engaged by a gear 59 fast to a sleeve 6| rotatable on the shaft 39 and having an integral pinion 62, the latter meshing with a gear 63 fast to a sleeve 64 rotatable on the crank shaft 3I.. nd provided with a cam 65 also fastenedto the sleeve 64. The earns 49, 51 and 65 alluded to above are adapted to be engaged by timing. cam rolls 55, 61 and 68 respectively (see Fig. .4), which are rotatably mounted on a common stud shaft .59 secured to and between the arms 1Band'18' of a cam roll lever 1|, pivoted on a shaft 12, supported at one end in the bracket 32 and atits other end in an adjacent portion .of the pump casing or casting referred to hereinafter. The cam roll lever 1| has .a

' downwardly directed thirdarm 1| =which-has suitably secured thereto a stud 13 provided with a poppet '14. A. spring rod (15 which passes through the poppet. 14 is encircled by a spring 16 the ends of which are confined between the said poppet 14 and 'a, shoulder 11 on the rod .15. The spring-trod .15 is pivotally connected by .a pin'or stud 15' to 'a clutchv trip lever 18. Movement of the spring rod 15 in an upward :direction relatively to the poppet 14 .is limited by a collar 19.

The spring biased'trip lever' 18 has one end 1 notched as at 8| to accommodate a clutch'trip 38. The clutch eccentric'83; as best shown in Fig; 14, comprisestwosymmetrical half portions '"85'r'a nd 85'; each -.provided.= with a pocket 88, 86' 1 adapted in conjunction" to accommodate a compression spring81 therebetween, the saidspring normally tending to spread apart the half portions 85 and'85 into'ope'rative binding relation with the annular recess 84 of the gear 30 and also into frictional engagement with a sleeVeQalsQ rotatably mounted on the shaft 3|, 7 has keyed thereon a gear and-a" cam. Coactclutch collar 88 keyed to the shaft 3|.v When the clutch trip lever 18 which normally maintains the. two fhalfportions 85,85" of the clutch eccentric 83 :out of operative engagement with therecess 84 and the'clutch collar 88 is disengagedfrom the clutch pin 82, as hereinafter described, a driving relation between the rotating gear 30 and the pump-operating shaft 3| is established.

A manually operable spring rod 89, protruded through the cover 23, has an enlarged extended square portion 98 mounted rotatably on :the pin 15=secured 'to the clutch'trip lever 18, whereby the clutch lever "18 may be actuated independently of the automatic operation of the crank sh aft'3|. This is'accomplished by'pressing down 'on the knob 89 'of the spring rod 89 thereby pressingthe said rod and the adjacent arm of the attached clutch trip lever 18 against the urge of the springf18 and with'the urgeof the spring on the-manually operable rod 89. This results in a'partial rotationof 'th'clutch trip lever18 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 11) and the removal of the notch 8| thereon from the trip pin 82. The spring-biased half portions of the clutch eccentric 83 will now be urged into operative engagement with the clutch collar 88 and the surface of the annular recess 84 in the driving gear 39, torque then being communicated to the pump-operating shaft 3| which latter is provided with a crank pin 9I having a block 92 rotatably mounted thereon (Fig. 5).

The block 92 on the crank pin 9| is slidably received in an elongated opening 93 formed in the head 93 of a piston 94, which is adapted to reciprocate in the bore 95- of a pump casting 96, attached by screws 91 to a support of pump casing 96 fastened to or integrally formed with the cover 23. As long as the spring rod 89 is depressed by the hand of the operator, it will be seen that the shaft 3| will continue to rotate and the pump piston 94 to reciprocate, thereby ejecting lubricant to the amount desired. If the spring rod 89 is only momentarily depressed, there will be a single rotation of the shaft 3| and consequently only one reciprocation of the pump, this being due to the return of the clutch trip lever I8 to its normal spring-pressed position wherein the notch 8| receives the trip pin 82 in its rotation, thereby compressing the spring 81 and causing the two half portions of the clutch eccentric 83 to be disengaged from the clutch collar 88 and the gear 39. This automatic operation of the pump is described hereinafter.

By inspection of Figs. 12 and 13, it will be seen that the base 99 of the pump cylinder casting 96 is secured to the latter in any suitable manner, as by the screws I99, and is formed with a pocket I9I communicating directly with the bore 95 and accommodating aball I92 normally closing a duct I93 through which lubricant is drawn from the supply in the tank, through the filter I94 suitably secured to the base 99. The ball I92 is confined against undue upward movement by a washer I95 having a somewhat elongated slot I95 which receives a portion of the said ball but permits lubricant to flow on either side of same, when the piston is executing its upward or suction stroke.

A channel I96, best shown in Figs. 5 and 12, communicates with pocket IM and bore 95, and also opens into a vertically directed channel I91 (Figs. 12 and 13). The channel I91 is normally closed at the top by a ball I98 seated in an enlarged opening or pocket I99 of the said channel I91, and restrained in its upward movement by a stop pin ||9 protruding through the wall of the casing 98. To a coupling member" III threadedly secured in the pocket I99, a lubricant feed pipe I I2, which supplies the lubricant to the mechanism to be oiled, is attached. By further inspection of Fig. 12, it will be noticed that a duct II3 communicates With the pocket I99 and, by a coacting duct II4, with the crank shaft 3| through the bushing 8|. The same duct H3, through the intermediary of an adjustable pressure valve H5 and a short duct H6, is'adapted' to supply a graduated amount of lubricant to the driven shaft 21 on which the driving pinion 29 is keyed.

The feed pipe II2, as best shown in Figure 1,

is adapted to force lubricant intermittently under pressure through a series of adjustable pressure type valves II1, one of which is shown, byway of example, in Fig. 2. Each lubricant pressure valve comprises a valve body II8, which may have a supporting arm or bracket. member 9,

IE2 is returned to the tank 2! 'apertured as at I2| to accommodate suitable means (not shown) to support the said valve and adjacent portions of the feed pipe to the machine or its support. In a bore I22 of the valve body, a valve stem or plunger I23 is resiliently biased by a spring I24 confined between a screw plug I25 in the said bore and the adjacent end of the valve stem. The tapered end of the valve stem H3 is normally projected by the spring I24 into a narrow duct I26 which forms the medium of communication between the feed pipe I I2 and a passageway or duct I21 formed in a downwardly directed portion I28 of the valve body H8. The downwardly directed portion I28 has threadedly secured thereto a casing I29 provided with a window or sight feed element I3I, and is also formed with a threaded nipple for suitable attachment to conduits or other members leading to various parts of the mechanism to be lubricated.

All lubricant not actually conveyed to the parts to be lubricated and flowing through the feed pipe after passing through a pressure regulating valve indicated generally at I32 and shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The pressure-regulating valve I32 includes the customary ball thrust member I33 normally closing ducts I34, I35 and adapted, by regulation of the adjusting screw or plug I39, to control the general pressure predetermined, at which lubricant is to be supplied to the individual valves I II, which latter, by adjustment of their screw plugs I 25 may be individually adjusted to dispense a graduated, variable amount of lubricant in the quantity desired.

The function and mode of operation of the device, which has been in large measure indicated above, may be summarized as follows:

Assuming the tank 2| to have a suitable supply of lubricant, as ascertained by the oil level gage 22, and the device including the feed pipes Ill and individual valves I I! to be operatively connected to a mechanism to be lubricated, and further assuming the main pressure-regulating valve I82 and the individual valves to have been preadjusted to supply the lubricant at the rate and under the pressure desired, the sheave 28 to be suitably connected to any source of power, and the shaft 21 to be rotating,the pinion 29 and the gear 39meshing therewith will constantly rotate, the shaft 3| meanwhile remaining stationary since the clutch trip lever I8 by its engagement with the clutch trip pin 82 maintains the two half portions 85, 85f of the clutch eccentrio out of operative engagement with the clutch collar 88 and the annular clutch recess 84 of said rotating gear 39. However, the pinion 43 integral with the pinion sleeve 42 which is keyed to'the rotating gear 39, but free on the shaft 3|, will communicate rotational movement to the entire system of coacting gears and pinions which freely rotate on the pump shaft 3| and the intermediate gear shaft 39, described above, and which constitute a gear reduction unit. This gear reduction unit or system, which may opercam roll lover I! which rocks on the shaft I2,

and thence, via the clutch trip lever I8 and coaoting trip pin 82, to trip the clutch in order to operatively connect the constantly rotating gear 303110 thepump-operating shaft 3|. In the form herein illustrated, the pinions and gears, fastened to the sleeves which freely turn on crank shaft 3l,-have l6 and 36 teeth respectively. Thepinions and gears fastened to the sleeves which freely of the gear-30; the thirdcam 65 which is fast to."

the gear 63,will rotate at one-sixth the speed of the-second cam or at of the speed of the gear 30.

Since .the cam rolls'66, 6'! and 68 (on the commonshaft 69) which coact with the cams), 51 and 65, are maintained thereagainst by the urge of the spring 16, on the cam roll lever H to which they are attached, and also by the urge of the spring on rod 89, it will be further evident that thesaid cam roll lever cannot move in a clock-;

wise-direction (as viewed in Fig. 11) to cause theclutch trip lever to tripthe clutch, until-all the depressed portions on the said cams are in line, which will occur, as explained above, once in every 216 rotations of the gear 39, assuming thedepressed portions of the said cams to have been preliminarily aligned before the operation of the device. By the elimination or addition of one or more of the cams and coacting cam rolls, it will be seen that a wide latitude in timing the dispensing of the lubricant will be obtained. As illustrated, the device operates once each 216 revolutions-of the driving gear which latter may be timed'to rotate about 60 revolutions per minute; This time may be varied to suit individual requirements and can be easily changed in any pump of this description after it is built, by providing, for example, more flats on the cams in order to operate the pump more frequently during a given space of time.

If desired, the mechanism to be oiled maybe given a preliminary supply of lubricant in excess;of that dispensed in accordance with. the automatic timinginstrumentalities, or whenever required, by holding down the manual operating rod 89,.mentioned above, for a few seconds, during which time, there will. be an ejection of lubricant from the pump at each rotation of the gear :30 :andthe pump shaft 3!, as explained above.

Since substantially the entire operating mechaitself embodied in the invention may be cur-t sorily described as consisting essentially of a tank containing a pump operated by a timed clutch and adapted to oil each bearing by one stroke of the said pump.

It will be understood that'the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingrfrom the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illusunderstood that each: and every novel feature and combination presentin or possessed by the mechanism herein disclosed'forms a part of the invention included in this application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patentis: r r

1. In a lubricating system of the'character described, the combination of a lubricant tank, a cover removably secured to the tank, an assembly secured to the cover, said assembly including a lubricant-pump,-a gear member rotatable within the tank, a shaft passing longitudinally through the axis of said gear and connected to a clutch, said clutch being positioned within the gear member, timing mechanism connected to the-gear membertc actuate the clutch to couple the shaft and gear member :together; and means within the-:tankito variably control the pressure :of "the. lubricant dispensed by the pump.

2. In a lubricant system of the character described, the combination of a reciprocating pump adapted to dispense oil 'under pressure, a crank shaft connected to the -pump,-.said crank shaft ,trative and not restrictive, and it willbefurther li being, normallystationary, a. clutch assembly mounted on'the crank shaft, a sleeve rotatable on the shaft, a gear fast to the sleeve and having a recess accommodating said assembly, a reciprocat-ing lubricant pumpconnected to the crank shaft; and .a timing mechanism comprising a train of coactingigears and cams and driven by the gear, said timing mechanism periodically actuating the clutch assembly to effect the rotation of the normally stationary shaft and the reciprocation of thepump.

3. In a lubricating system, the combination of a constantly driven rotating memberincluding clutch -means,'a shaft, a'timingmechanism consistingrof -a series of gear {reduction units, each unit carrying a cam, :thecams forming a series running on said shaft, 'thefirst of said cams running slower than the -said rotating member and 'each one of the other'cams-turning slower than the preceding cam-by .an even ratio, a series of cam rolls one foreach cam,'said cam lrolls runningon a spring-biased'shaft, said 'shaft being intermittently moved, thereby causing all of the cam rolls to drop into aligned depressed areas of the cams at predetermined intervals and consequently causing-the clutch to turn the shaft one revolution to operatega lubricant pump.

4; Ina lubricatingsystem, the combination of alubricant reservoir, a pump for lubricant arranged within'the reservoir, .a rotating driven member-for operating the-pump, a clutch arranged within and connectible to the rotating member, 'timingmechanism connected to the rotating'member and including a series of cams running at progressively slower speeds, said cams being 50 arranged that their depressed portions maybecomezaligned at each revolution of the slowest cam, thereby causing the clutch to couple the rotating "member to the pump.

5. In a lubricating system, the combination of a pump, a shaft to reciprocate the pump, a rotating member, a clutch. within the rotatin memberfor' operating the shaft, said clutch having an eccentric arranged to lock the rotating member to the shaft at predetermined intervals, a'pin in theeccentric and a timing mechanism for blocking the pin-therebyipreventing the eccentric from turning until-desired.

6. In a lubricating system comprising in combination a circuit *conduit, a plurality of feeders supplied thereby, means to intermittently supply oil under pressure to the conduit comprising a tank for containing oil, a cover for said tank, a continuously running driving shaft located on the cover above the oil in the tank, a pump suspended from the cover and operated from a crank shaft located within the tank, a wheel free on said shaft and driven from the driving shaft, a friction clutch arranged within the wheel and having an eccentric ring provided with a projecting pin, an arm for holding the pin to prevent the clutch from turning the crank shaft, a timing mechanism consisting of a series of gear reducing units, each unit carrying a cam, the cams forming a series running on said crank shaft, the first cam turning slower than said wheel and each of the other cams runnin slower than the preceding cam by an even ratio, a series of cam rolls one for each cam, said cam rolls running on a shaft, said shaft being movable to allow all of the cam rolls to swing into depressed portions on the cams when the cams become aligned, said movable shaft being connected to the arm holding the pin and adapted to swing it out of contact with the pin to cause the clutch to operate the crank shaft and thus operate the pump one stroke.

7. In a lubricating system, the combination of a pump, a crank shaft for operating said pump and extending through a constantly driven rotating member, a clutch arranged on the shaft and having an eccentric ring, means projecting from the ring, an arm to hold the said means and thereby prevent the clutch from turning the crank shaft, and a timing mechanism adapted to disconnect the arm from the means to permit the clutch to turn the crank shaft and then operate the pump one stroke.

8. A combination as specified in claim 7 wherein manually operable means are provided to disconnect the arm from the first mentioned means in order to permit the clutch to operate the pump a variable number of strokes.

9. In a lubricating system, the combination of a pump, a shaft to reciprocate the pump, a rotating member, a clutch within the rotating member for operating the shaft, said clutch having an eccentric arranged to lock the rotating member to the shaft at predetermined intervals, means mechanically connected to the eccentric, and a timing mechanism coactable with and adapted to block said means at a predetermined time in order to prevent said eccentric from, turning until desired.

IRVING A. HUNTING. 

